NGOs move HC to protest govt apathy towards 'special' students

A bunch of NGOs has moved to the Nagpur bench of Bombay High Court alleging total negligence by the Maharashtra government towards 750 schools for intellectually and physically challenged students in state.

A division bench comprising Justices Vasanti Naik and Atul Chandurkar issued notices to the respondents, including secretary for social justice and special assistance department and state commissioner for disabled.

Srikant Khandalkar was the counsel for the petitioners - Vidarbha Jeevan Vikas Sanstha, Rachana Jan Vikas Bahuddeshiya Sanstha, Jankidevi Atkar Seva Sanstha, and Samarth Ramdas Swami Bahuddeshiya Sanastha. They were told to submit reply within three weeks after which the petition would be heard for final disposal.

The petitioners contended that out of 750 schools run by various organizations for intellectually and physically challenged students, 200 are in Vidarbha. Despite various government directives the respondents failed to pay attention to the schools, resulting in inconvenience and numerous hardships to the petitioners.

According to petitioners, the government had proposed action plan for the welfare of such students in 2011. However, all its recommendations have remained on paper. They charged the government with not following the Persons with Disabled (Equal opportunity, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995.

They said that a government resolution (GR) of July 19, 2003, specified that schools which were run by private organizations prior to 2002 and had completed two years were entitled to government grants.

Another GR was issued on August 11, 2004, which claimed that schools opened after 2004 would not be entitled to government grants. For opening such schools, the GR asked the promoters to submit an undertaking that they would not seek government grants for their operations.

Terming this move as illegal and arbitrary, the petitioners contended that the government was depriving the students of good education. They claimed that 3% of the total budget of the state needs to be utilized for intellectually and physically challenged students. They had apprised of the government with all these facts, but failed to get any response. They prayed for quashing August 11, 2004, GR.



Source : TOI , 29th September 2013